DJ Kool Herc, who was born in Jamaica, was recognized as “one of the greatest founders of hip-hop” as he accepted the Musical Influence Award at the 2023 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
The legendary party that DJ Kool Herc performed at in 1973 to assist his sister Cindy Campbell in collecting money for back-to-school supplies, charging 25 cents for ladies to join and 50 cents for males, was described by rapper LL Cool J, who introduced the groundbreaking musical visionary.
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The “I need love” rapper remarked, “We don’t know how much money Cindy managed to raise that day or what clothes she managed to buy but we know she changed the course of history, of music history.” He added, “That party has come to be known as the birthplace of hip-hop.”
The rapper called Kool Herc—real name: Clive Campbell—“larger than life” and complimented him for transforming his record collection into a new kind of music that has had an influence on the globe ever since.
LL Cool J stated, “It’s a culture that changed my life obviously. It changed the lives of millions and millions of people.”
He was blown away with emotion when Kool Herc and his sister walked up to the dais to accept the prize.
“I got tears in my eyes,” he said to the crowd. He named-checked the living, including Harry Belafonte and James Brown. In addition, he gave his sister Cindy credit for speaking and acknowledged his parents, Keith and Nettie Campbell. He told her to “do your thing.”
Cindy stated, “LL, you gave a heartfelt introduction, thank you, we love you. We always did, and I want to congratulate my brother DJ Kool Herc for staying on that path and getting where he is today. Congratulations to my brother.”
Given that hip-hop is commemorating its 50th anniversary, Herc’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year is especially appropriate. According to mythology, hip-hop originated from a party that Kool Herc threw in the rec room of his apartment building on August 11, 1973—a date that is generally recognized as hip-birthday—and hop’s this party is credited with helping to create the genre.
Herc acknowledged to Rolling Stone this summer that his recollections of the party are hazy, even though it will go down in music history.
“I remember the equipment, the turntables. We weren’t a band. But we’re DJs. We’re rock stars now,” he noted.
